📄 Archived: 2025-08-28 12:20:40 UTC
🔗 Source: https://old.reddit.com/r/asktransgender/comments/ewhy0b/psa_if_you_do_laser_or_electrolysis_get/

# PSA: if you do laser or electrolysis, get anesthetic cream

r/asktransgender • by u/darthemofan • 30 points

I just read the thread about someone first laser session and there was no comment at all about anesthetic cream.
If you can get you hands on EMLA, it's the best. If you can't, Amazon has you covered with Aspercreme and the various other Lidocaine based numbing creams for tatoo. Get the highest percentage you can - it's all the same. Only the "caine" part matters when it comes to reducing pain. Put a very thick layer. As it, as thick as you can until it starts falling off. I can't remember how many tubes I did use when I was using laser, but I often used several just for my face alone.
Many doctors say to not cover bc it increase diffusion and you risk cardiac problems if you cover large zones (like your whole torso). But if you are as sensitive to pain as I was, and only do the face, it's safe. If you want to do more, you are a grown up, do some risk assessment and make an educated guess by trying sligthly bigger zones little by little.
Buy some plastic roll, the kind that's use to close cardboard box when you move with the handle on one side. If you can't find that, Saran wrap will do but it will be harder. After applying the anesthetic, wrap the whole face with the plastic. This will prevent the anesthetic cream to leak away, which it does otherwise: gravity is a force which pulls us together. But Saran wrap is stronger! Obviously you may want to cut holes for your eyes, nose and mouth with a boxcutter. Personally I only did my eyes and nose, because I found that even a small mouth hole let too much cream away.
You should do that at least 45 min and more like 1h before the session. Come with big scissors and paper towels and cut off the wrap (faster than unrolling, just don't cut your nose off lol) and only do it at the very last minute because the effect will only last so long. I'm shameless so I usually did that in the bathroom of a nearby cafe when I didn't have a car I could stay in. I made sure to arrive right on time because sometimes they finish earlier and would want to get me in (because time is money) and that's bad: if you haven't waited enough, you will suffer.
If you are shy and afraid of being seen with you face covered with plastic, say in the cafe that it's for a sexual kink with latex lol Don't suffer. Pain comes with no gain. You can top that off with painkillers if you can get that (anything will do, the stronger the better), and anything that can make you sleepy or drowsy (benadryl is OTC in the US, I took a few but no more than 4 or my mouth would be super dry for hours, and my legs resless)
If you sometime had to ask the technician to stop because you were suffering too much, this guide is for you!

## Comments

u/VioletLostGirl • 12 points

"If you are shy and afraid of being seen with you face covered with plastic, say in the cafe that it's for a sexual kink with latex lol."

I'm sorry but that feels very much like "No dad, I wasn't playing minecraft I was watching porn I swear!"

I'd be a lot more embarrassed to say it's a sexual kink with latex then laser hair removal lol, otherwise thank you for the advice I have pretty much head to toe laser to work through so yeah hehe.

u/dremily1 • 4 points

Some of this is good advice, but I had a different experience that I’d like to share. You can find products like Solarcaine which have benzocaine or lidocaine in them and you can use these to help minimize pain associated with laser or Electrolysis. As a physician and someone who has undergone hundreds of hours of Electrolysis and laser treatments and has used EMLA and over-the-counter products I will say that I do not think it’s necessary to slather on a thick layer and cover this with plastic wrap for 45 minutes prior to treatment. I found very little difference in applying anything more than 15 minutes prior to treatment and an hour prior. I found that Solarcaine with aloe worked as well or better than EMLA. And I found a thin layer without plastic wrap works just as well as anything else. I also found the most effective thing was probably just taking two ibuprofen an hour prior to treatment. Good luck to all who are starting your journey. This part sucks because it’s uncomfortable and also very hard to see progress, even after 100 hours sometimes. Hang in there. You’ll get there.

u/strawberryfirestorm • 2 points

I did 2 hours of electrolysis at a time when I was having it done.

So, that’s how I learned I was a clinical masochist. No cream for me lol.

u/Mattpilf • 2 points

I really don't think the plastic wrap is necessary. I use Asprecrame with lidocaine almost every day for chronic pain(yes as approved by doctors) and really don't think that a thicker application really does much of anything

u/leelloo22 • 1 points

The girl who did laser for me did not recommend putting anything on the face because it could lead to scabbing.

u/sometimes_sydney • 1 points

Eh, I'd say do a test session before you decide because pain tolerance varies so widely. I'm 4 laser sessions in and it really doesn't hurt much even now that they're cranking the power to blast the last of my facial hair away. It helps that I'm pale with dark skin but still, while some people had a lot of pain even with cream some people also have only minor pain. It feels like getting flicked to me which is kinda more an annoying pain than an intense one.